The Season of Peace
by Gasian Gaond
Summary: Takes place in the 3-month period when the Germanians ceased their attack on Eylstadt. Bianca and Lotte had to deal with a problem they never expected to occur within the von Eylstadt household: what to do when your ruler is secretly dating a really, really innocent and formerly secluded witch.
1. Chapter 1: Bianca

Summary: Takes place in the 3-month period when the Germanians ceased their attack on Eylstadt. Bianca and Lotte had to deal with a problem they never expected to occur within the von Eylstadt household: what to do when your ruler is secretly dating a really, really innocent and formerly secluded witch.

A/N: Hello everyone, this is my first Shuumatsu no Izetta fanfic! This is just a quick light-hearted piece that I made, about what could happen in the course of that 3-month period before shit went down in episode 9. The character that was being focused on would change every chapter. As mentioned in the summary, this fic would have Finé x Izetta pairing.

Enjoy!

* * *

 **The Season of Peace**

 **Chapter 1: Bianca**

Royal Guard Commander Bianca had one of the best jobs in the world.

She was living in a castle to protect the Archduchess of Eylstadt that she loved and admired more than anyone else.

Her Royal Guards respected her, and she had never let anyone suspicious near the Archduchess under her watch.

At least until this redheaded witch suddenly came and introduced herself as Finé's childhood friend.

Bianca had grown protective of the Archduchess even before she became one, so at first her instincts instantly tensed up in Izetta's presence, and unlike Lotte, it was hard for Bianca to accept this total, _magical_ stranger suddenly walking and goofing around in the castle.

However, gradually she came to see that Izetta was far from an insufferable girl that Bianca expected her to be, and that Finé and Izetta did care a lot about each other, perhaps much more than Bianca could understood.

Bianca thought Izetta was a close friend of Finé (and Bianca was truly thankful of it, the Archduchess didn't exactly have a lot of those!), but then something happened that shook her belief to the very core.

The Germanians hadn't launched an attack in days and in the interim Izetta's foreign interference had been going rather nicely. It was a sunny day that was perfect for a picnic, so they decided to have lunch in the castle gardens when Finé suddenly had an urgent business to attend to.

So her seat was left empty, as Lotte served some cakes for Izetta and Bianca instead of a full meal.

"I mean, really, Sieg became ill and Archduchess had to replace him instead? I thought nothing can get that man," Bianca laughed before taking a sip from her teacup.

"I heard the instigators of the recent opposition in Thermidor had been caught by Germania, so maybe they are going to discuss that?" Lotte said, picking up a teapot with one hand.

"What a pity, and it was just when they were intensifying their attacks too. Sieg thought their radio signals were intercepted or something, but now he's just too sick to make any more guesses..."

Izetta giggled and said, "We should visit Sieg together once Princess comes back."

By this point, Izetta and Bianca could have normal conversation about pretty much anything, but nothing could prepare Bianca for Izetta's question that came after that ordinary light-hearted banter.

"By the way, Bianca..." she said, with all the innocence of a four-year-old girl, "...what's 'making love'?"

The raven-haired girl nearly spit all over the table and dropped her cup, while Lotte didn't even notice all of it happening because she was too busy standing there dumbfounded with a teapot.

"Um..." Izetta looked more awkward than usual, "I'm sorry for asking that, I think it's not something a commoner like me is permitted to know...?"

"No, no, no, it's not like that, it is something _everyone_ is allowed to know. But...but...umm..."

 _When it's coming from you, suddenly it feels very weird! ..._ was what Bianca and Lotte were thinking, but of course they couldn't just say it out loud to Izetta.

Bianca, with her face still soaked in tea, was thinking in full speed.

 _Is this girl serious? Why is she asking this now? Well, we are indeed in a (temporary) moment of peace now, so she might have time to think about these things. And I guess we have instilled some confidence and trust in her that she can come to us and ask...about...sex... but she looks so clueless even now! Does she really not know anything about what she asked? And what suddenly made her ask this? Is this how parents feel when their children finally hit puberty? And why do I have a feeling she intentionally asked us this when Finé-sama isn't around?_

"Uh...it is something that you know by instinct?" the tiny maid replied lamely.

"Like magic?"

"Well, magic might...make it more exciting?" she said with a cheerful smile.

"Lotte... stop teasing her," Bianca muttered.

"I'm trying to help!"

"I just wonder if...it is something that can be mastered...or if there are instructions I can follow...from the more experienced...since magic is a bit like that..." Izetta shyly mumbled.

Bianca was screaming internally.

She tried to calm herself down. Izetta was a helpful and kind girl, she had been nothing but friendly and polite during her stay in the castle, and she was instrumental in bringing about an end to the war. So Bianca wanted to help her, she really did.

"...No, no, Izetta... We _might_ have answers but... we're pretty sure our knowledge is... insufficient, so we can't promise you anything...but first of all, we need to know _why_ you're asking."

Because it honestly boggled their minds.

"Yeah, yeah, are you actually going out with someone?" Lotte asked excitedly.

"No! No, there's nobody I..."

If there was one thing Bianca learned of Izetta, it was that she was a really horrible liar.

"It's okay. You can tell us anything. We won't be mad," Bianca assured her.

"You _will_ be mad, I know you will...and I'm not sure if I can just..."

The way she refused to look at them only made them more curious.

"Izetta, how could we be mad at you for going out with some..."

But then it hit Bianca like lightning.

It wasn't hard to reach that conclusion, really. She was just blinded because...it's just...because...she refused to see it...

Izetta, the almighty witch with currently zero access to ley lines, seemed to shrink in fear in front of Bianca when they both knew she had finally figured it out.

"You're dating the Archduchess."

The Archduchess that Bianca admired, the Archduchess that had earned Bianca's loyalty since she was younger...

Bianca's first emotion to that news was...not pleasant.

"...Being the second coming of White Witch is one thing...but..." Lotte slowly said, "Um...this is a bit...scandalous, isn't it?"

Bianca threw her head back and let out a long sigh.

 _This is going to be a long day._

* * *

"I am sorry, the meeting dragged on interminably...I guess the food has become pretty cold now."

"It's alright, Finé-sama, we can always heat it up again."

"Thank you, Lotte, you're always so helpful."

How the heck the Archduchess didn't notice Lotte's strange forceful smile, Bianca would never know.

Before they continue their conversation, Finé had come back to them so the topic was immediately shut down.

What was left was a rather tense atmosphere that was felt by everyone except the blond Archduchess.

However, when lunch was served, they could all still exchange words like they normally should.

Kind of.

"Princess, this tastes so good!" Izetta chirped out, seemingly distracted by the golden yellow Wiener Schnitzel.

"I agree! It seems that the cook did carry out my instructions to slightly increase the temperature during heating. It looks very pleasant now."

"Can you cook Wiener Schintzel, Princess?"

"I'm...not sure."

"Of course she can, Finé-sama can do anything she puts her mind into. You also think that as her _best friend_ , right, Izetta?" Bianca gave her a bright, brilliant smile.

Izetta's reaction was to recoil in horror, but Finé only seemed slightly confused.

"A-aah, dessert is ready! !" Lotte exclaimed, obviously trying to defuse the situation before Finé found out.

She hurriedly served apple strudels for each of them, and soon they were back to eating.

Bianca knew she was being unreasonable.

She had been a fan of the legend of the White Witch since she was a child (the traditional version. Ugh, she wished she never heard of that alternate version). She should be happy that Izetta and Finé fell for each other like in the legend...but why did she feel so...irritated? It was like...Finé was being taken away.

But Bianca knew Finé was probably going to marry someday. Her conflicted mind was an insult to the Archduchess. She really wanted to punish herself.

 _Aaargh, what the hell is wrong with me? ?_

She should've noticed earlier that Finé held Izetta very dear, not just as a friend, but as a lover. Sure, from the outside some people might think that Finé only treated Izetta like some sort of insurance against the destruction of Eylstadt, but Bianca knew it wasn't true.

The little things they did: the way they exchanged glances... the way they held hands and hugged each other... that corronation arrangement... the Archduchess moving her to a bedroom which interconnected with hers... the hints were all there for Bianca to see. It all made sense now.

And yet...

"Izetta!" Finé's voice snapped Bianca out of her musings.

Finé held up a piece of the strudel with her fork and told Izetta, "Say aaah."

"Huh? ? Umm..."

This was not the first time Finé tried to feed Izetta in front of them.

It seemed playful, back then.

But now when everyone around the table knew that Finé was doing this romantically, Izetta obviously felt more self-conscious than ever.

"Um...uh...Princess...?" Her eyes darted from the cake to Bianca to Lotte then back to the cake, "Can we...um..."

She was blushing furiously and she knew Bianca and Lotte were watching them intently...way too intently for her liking.

"Can we...do this some other time?"

She lowered her voice there, but it was loud enough for Bianca to hear.

"Eh...why?" Finé stared at her dejectedly, like a stray puppy, and Izetta was weak to Finé and puppies.

"I...I...uh..."

Izetta's expression screamed "Someone please help me!" ...and Bianca couldn't help but take pity on her.

"...Finé-sama," Bianca put her own fork back on her plate, "I remember there is something I need to discuss with Lotte, in private. Can we leave for awhile?"

"Eh, what?" Lotte blurted out.

"Oh? Sure," Finé said, Izetta deflated with relief beside her.

"Please excuse us."

Bianca stood up and grabbed the bewildered maid's wrist before striding back to the castle without looking back.

Finé watched them go for a while, then turned to Izetta and asked her with raised eyebrows, "Is it just me, or is everyone acting rather strange today...?"

* * *

"So they really are going out! I knew it! It has been a hot gossip among the maids!"

"A hot gossip?"

"There's a rumor going around that somebody saw them kissing in Finé-sama's bedroom! I think it was Elvira who started it."

"Elvira? ? That woman, she really had an instinct for spreading weird rumors."

"Um, hey, Bianca..." Lotte said in a more serious tone, "You don't sound too happy about this."

Bianca found it hard to reply honestly. "What do you mean...? If Finé-sama found someone she loves then it's none of my business, and I have to protect that person all the same!"

"Hmm..." Lotte mumbled, "Do you...perhaps..."

"Anyway! I was being really rude to Izetta earlier, so I have to make up for it. You're going to help me, right, Lotte?"

Lotte gazed up to her for a moment, her expression unreadable.

"Of course I am," she answered cheerfully before adding, "...I'm your best friend after all."

* * *

"When...uh...when it's just the two of us..." Izetta began, "We have never done anything beyond k...k-ki..."

"Kissing? ?"

"Y-yes!"

After the lunch was over, Bianca and Lotte managed to drag Izetta away to a quiet, empty room and put her on a chair to "talk it further". It was certainly an unpleasant experience for Izetta, who kept fidgeting and staring at the floor nervously. Bianca felt a little guilty about this, but it was Lotte's idea and she was fired up to know more. She really didn't want to be an interfering busybody, but she couldn't deny she was curious herself.

"A...and then, one night, Princess came to my room... I didn't know why, but...she just seemed...more beautiful than usual. We talked a little... and kissed... then... all of a sudden she was already on top of me and... she was kissing my neck while whispering, 'Izetta...can I...?' and I absolutely had no idea how to react so I just...asked her... 'Can what...?' ...and she stared deeply into my eyes and answered, '...make love to you...' with very low voice... Then when she saw how confused I was... she just chuckled and stopped..."

 _Oh man...that's gotta hurt a bit,_ Bianca wondered, _Finé-sama has good instincts...she probably knew it was not going to work._

"So that is why you asked us what making love is..."

"She said it was alright...but she looked a little sad, so I..." she uttered, "I just have to find out..."

Bianca and Lotte glanced at each other. Could they really explain this in a way that was intelligible to Izetta? Is there a book or something about this that was intended for children?

"...listen, Izetta...'making love' is exactly what it sounds like."

"But I don't understand. Everything we did all this time... is it not 'making love'?"

"She had a point there, in a way," Lotte piped in.

"It's...different. 'Making love' is...when you love someone very, very much...you...take your partner to the bedroom and then...Lotte, can you _please_ stop giggling?"

"I'm sorry, Bianca, you are really not suited for this," Lotte said before keeping on laughing.

"I can't help it, can I? It's not like I have any experience myself!"

"You don't...?" Izetta asked, looking a bit downcast.

"Is there anyone around here with a lot of experience?" Lotte said.

"Elvira...? Well...learning from her would surely be an...instructive experience," Bianca pointed out.

"No, not her! I-I'll just stick with you guys," Izetta shuddered.

Bianca sighed and put her hand on Izetta's shoulder, "When two people love each other very much, sometimes, they want to be one with each other. They want their bodies to be close, to be inseparable, they want to show their affection to that person in ways only they are able to do, and it differs from person to person. Kissing is one of those things, but there are more ways to express that feeling out there...especially to...other parts of your body, and love is an integral part of them."

"I...still don't really get it."

"For example, would you feel happy when Elvira touches your breasts?"

"No."

"What about Finé-sama then...?"

When Izetta's face flushed so much it was now the same color as her hair, Bianca knew she had gotten that point across.

"Well...I think that is enough for today, we'll talk about this some other time," Bianca winked.

"I...I see," Izetta said, "Thank...thank you for your help, Bianca...!"

Bianca observed how flustered she was, how she stammered with her words, how she bowed her head...and how Finé's heart belonged to her.

 _To her, and only to her._

"...don't mention it."

She walked away and Lotte followed suit, staring at her the whole time.


	2. Chapter 2: Finé

A/N: Hello everyone, here's chapter 2! This chapter is made out of PURE FLUFF and nothing else. Enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Finé**

When Finé saw that Izetta had been spending more time with Bianca and Lotte lately, at first she thought it was just because they were deepening their friendship.

But when Izetta was never able to explain clearly what they were doing together, Finé instictively knew that something was wrong.

Izetta, her beloved childhood friend, was just never good at lying. Finé thought that part of her was utterly adorable...well, actually, everything about Izetta was utterly adorable. But when it was about lifting things up in the air, any kind of challenges they gave her seemed like an insult to her intelligence. Finé ever watched her practicing with the military once, Izetta was strong, smart, and able to adapt on new problems on the fly. They were lucky Izetta was on their side, because if the enemy had someone like her... they wouldn't know how to counter it.

Despite her tremendous power, Izetta remained humble and pretty much unchanged from the little awkward girl that Finé knew back then.

For Finé, Izetta was the only person in the world who could make her feel like herself. After they were separated, Finé had stopped hoping for them to be reunited once more. She had assumed that Izetta would be better off hidden from the public, and the people who tried to harm her just because she was a nomad or a witch. And now that Izetta was here, in her castle living with her, being so close to her beyond her wildest dreams, Finé didn't know how to feel. Countless times she tried to forget how her affection for Izetta had grown far past the point of no return, and one day she woke up with the realization that...yes, she could not look at Izetta as just a friend. And the fact that she saw (probably out of sheer desperation) that Izetta was blushing and reacting to her touches was only making it worse.

But she was already asking too much of Izetta, and Izetta was putting her life on the line out of pity.

 _I don't want to be selfish._

 _Izetta doesn't need to know about this._

Finé fully intended to bury her feelings deep inside, and every time they threatened to resurface, she would focus on the promise that she had made to Izetta instead.

However, her plan failed when Izetta was reading the newspapers she brought her in her bedroom one night. Finé only wanted to show her the articles about her success as the White Witch, but she seemed interested in something else.

"Look, Izetta, thanks to you this priceless two-hundred-year-old fortress remains intact, the people are singing praises to you!"

"It was a beautiful fortress, Princess! I wish you could be there to see it."

"Maybe one day, when the war is over."

When they finally had peace, and Finé could fulfill her promise to Izetta.

She couldn't wait for that day to come.

An intercontinental travel with Izetta would be awesome.

"Oh, Princess, isn't this Lord Redford?"

Izetta pointed at a different article at the corner of the page, about an intergovernmental conference.

There was a picture of Lord Redford standing side by side with the young Prince Henry of Brittania.

"And who's this man next to him?"

"Oh, that's Prince Henry. He's the crown prince of Brittania. We often meet in parties."

"Oh, so he's Princess's friend."

"Well... he doesn't see it like that. He had been expressing interest in marrying me, and a few months ago, he proposed to me."

"Proposed to you?"

"Yeah, but I turned him..." Finé's words trailed off when she realized Izetta was looking intently at her, "...down..."

 _Uh...did I just... say something wrong...?_

Izetta was a silent for a few moments before she folded the newspaper and stood up from her seat.

"Izetta? Is something the matter?"

"Um, nothing..." she climbed up the bed and picked a pillow to hug.

"Something bugs your mind...?"

"I..." she said, her voice muffled by the pillow, "...never really thought about you getting married, Princess."

"What...?"

"I don't know...it's..." she buried her face further, "I feel like I don't want you to."

Half of Finé's heart wanted to leap out in joy, but her rational side warned her.

 _Stop it._

 _She's just saying that because you're her close friend._

"...um...uh...marrying is just something a lot of people do, you know...?" Finé hurriedly said, "He might be a prince, but I'm totally not interested in him, and people expect me to marry him just to insure Eylstadt against Germanian attacks. Who knows who I would end up with? I mean, just look at the Prince in the White Witch legend. He probably never expected that he would be in love with a witch, didn't he? I mean..."

 _Oh, crap, I'm making it_ way _too obvious...pull back, Finé, pull back!_

"What I'm saying is...marriage is not really important for me, Izetta. Just...not now."

Finé's explanation didn't seem to convince Izetta. "But one day... you would get married right?"

"That's not something for me to say..." Finé sat on the bed, trying to get Izetta way from the pillow, "Come on, don't sulk like that... I'll always be your best friend, Izetta, a stupid marriage won't change that."

Izetta's face was completely obscured now.

"Izetta...? Come on now...I don't understand why you're like this," she laughed, "Don't tell me that when I get married someday, you'll interfere my wedding with flying swords and tanks and..."

When she successfully pried Izetta from her pillow, Finé stopped talking.

Izetta's eyes were unexpectedly brimming with tears.

"I don't know...I probably would..." she choked out.

"O...oh..."

 _Dammit, I made her cry! !_

"I-Izetta...? I'm sorry...I didn't mean to..."

"Princess...what is wrong with me?" she said, "I should be happy for you...and yet I..."

Finé was just as confused as she was.

Not knowing what else to do, she pulled Izetta into her arms and gave her an awkward pat on the head. Izetta, reacting to the familiar touch, slowly began to relax in the Archduchess's embrace. Izetta's scent, and her warm body being close to hers, were things that Finé now craved in a day to day basis, and it scared her so much that every time Izetta flew on her rifle, there was a chance that Finé would never see Izetta again. She had to cherish this moment. She didn't know how many more times she could hold her close.

"Geez...Izetta...don't worry about it, really."

"I'm sorry..."

"Don't apologize. Still, I don't understand why the prospect of my marriage bothers you so much."

"I don't understand, either."

Finé quickly thought that she should say something to cheer her up. A small joke perhaps?

But her cheeky mouth was suddenly _much_ faster than the decision-making part of her brain.

"Well, if you are so against it, then why don't you take responsibility and be my bride?"

As soon as those playful words slipped out...Finé's mind went into panicked overdrive.

 _Wait, what..._

 _What did I just say? ?_

 _What did I exactly intend with that remark? ?_

 _Why did my mouth just go out and do that? ?_

Izetta, being Izetta, took it quite literally and Finé's heart was threatening to explode.

"Eh? No! I don't deserve...being the Princess's bride...that's just..." Izetta stammered, her face turning redder with every word.

Finé felt her self-restraint was decreasing by the minute.

Izetta was just...too adorable.

Nobody else could make Finé feel this way.

 _I'm really...losing it..._

"Who do you think deserve to be my bride, Izetta...?"

"M-maybe someone with...a higher status than me..."

"But you object to me marrying a prince earlier."

"I..."

Finé took Izetta's hand in hers and brought it closer to her mouth.

She found herself enjoying her cute flustered reaction, just slightly.

"Status doesn't really matter, you know," she planted a kiss on the back of Izetta's hand, "Who needs a prince when the one I want is right here in this room...?"

She couldn't hold back anymore.

She didn't care if that was horrible, she didn't care if she weirded Izetta out. She had been hiding it for far too long, it was threatening to burst.

 _What would I do if she refuses...? Would it ruin our friendship...?_

But it was too late to stop herself.

"Princess! I don't think I..."

"If there is anyone I want to spend the rest of my life with, it's you..." she whispered, tightening her hug around her, "But I don't want to force you, Izetta. I love you too much for that. So if you don't wish to be mine, I fully understand that and I..."

"That's not true!"

Finé could her feel her small body shake. "Princess...I...ever since we met, I could not stop thinking about you. You changed my life, you gave me hope, you made me feel that I am not alone in this world. You are the reason I began to love myself, and make a lot of effort to integrate myself in the local community. But I know you were a princess...a princess so noble that you saved my life, and I am just a lowly witch who almost got you killed. So even after we met again, I wasn't hoping for anything...I am just happy to be by your side. But...when I think about you marrying someone else, my heart aches. I want to be by your side forever, but I can't bear the thought of you marrying someone else. But I am...strangely... not against... seeing myself becoming your...your..."

She couldn't bring herself to say it, and her fingers were clenching the Archduchess's nightgown.

"That is so horrible and selfish of me...Surely...there is someone else more..."

"I want you, Izetta," Finé said, hoping that she could convince her it was the truth, "Nobody else but you. I love you."

The furiously blushing witch couldn't even look at Finé when she nodded and buried her head in Finé's shoulder. Her voice was small, but confident, and it made Finé's heart soar to the skies.

"I love you, too..."

* * *

"Aah, Finé-sama...! That was a really romantic story...!"

In front of her, Lotte, her maid, was listening to her with sparkly eyes that were almost blinding, while Bianca, her bodyguard, looked equally as excited although she probably wouldn't admit that.

After calling both of them to her office to confront them about Izetta's weird behavior, they confessed they had known that Finé and Izetta were dating.

So Finé felt that there was no point in hiding it anymore.

However, Bianca and Lotte turned out to be more intrigued than she expected.

"...now then, I think that satisfies your curiosity...?"

"Yes, thank you so much, Finé-sama!"

"For a moment there, I thought it would be insulting to her if we ask the details."

"Izetta told me that both of you already knew, so I thought I should speak to you about it. I didn't really want you to find out, because it isn't really a necessarily important news in this time, and it might be distracting us from our main problem. But if Izetta is okay with it, then I'll go along with anything she wants," Finé said, clasping her hands under her chin, "I'd appreciate it if you don't spread it far and wide for now."

"We won't, you can count on us."

"However..." Finé took a deep breath, "I still feel something is wrong..."

She could see the two girls tensed up at her words.

"What's wrong, Finé-sama...?"

"As a matter of interest," Finé said seriously, "Did she...by any chance, ask for your help in something...?"

Their bewildered reaction, and the way Bianca stepped on Lotte's foot until she yelled out in pain, was enough proof for Finé.

"She did, didn't she...?"

"T...that's...!"

Finé raised her hand to silence them.

"It's okay, if Izetta wants to keep it a secret, I won't force it out of you. But if I may make a guess..." Finé looked at their sweating faces thoughtfully, "Is it because she wants to know about sex...?"

She nearly laughed out loud seeing their jaws dropping and eyes wide in amazement.

Finé knew Izetta far too well for her to hide something like this.

Izetta was, for all intents and purposes, a highly adaptable person with a passion to learn and try new things.

Nobody told her to fight tanks and warplanes with freaking swords, it all came from her own ideas and initiative.

She was also far more stubborn and hard-headed than she looked. Finé was sure if Izetta came across something that was unknown to her, which Finé seemed to desire, no matter how much Finé forbid her, Izetta would _still_ make an effort to find out.

"...it's okay, I'm not against you helping her out...uhh, however it might be," Finé tried to keep a completely straight face.

"It's alright, Finé-sama, you can laugh..." Bianca said, covering her face with her palm, while Lotte was obviously in the middle of holding her breath.

"It's such a shame, though," Finé leant back on her armchair with a meaningful sigh, "I wish she knew that I can teach her all about that myself."

Lotte couldn't bear it anymore, she burst out laughing.

Bianca slapped her on the back, shutting her up.

It only widened the impudent smile on the Archduchess's face. "But this is amusing, so I'll pretend not to know."

"Finé-sama...you're quite the tough lover, aren't you?" Bianca sighed in defeat.

Finé gave them a wink and said, "I want to see her struggling adorably for a little while longer."

That's what she loves about Izetta anyway.

* * *

At first, Finé felt like she could handle any kind of surprises those girls decided to throw at her.

She was ready even when Izetta was acting and talking normally. Finé thought she could get a good laugh of this whole thing and reveal to the (obviously baffled and embarassed) Izetta that she had known about it beforehand.

But Finé forgot about how awfully, _desperately_ in love she was with her girlfriend.

Finé got a strong reminder of this when she was lying beside Izetta on her bed, playing with her messy red hair while listening to her enthusiastic explanation about her rifle's recent modifications.

"In the interest of safety they're adding this really cool addition to the seat. They put so much thought into it, they said it required an interdisciplinary approach and all of those scientists are really glad that I like it! Everyone is so nice..."

"Of course, Izetta. You're their savior," Finé said, enjoying the feeling of the scarlet strands of hair sliding between her finger, "And my savior."

Izetta grinned shyly. "I am honored, Princess."

"I don't know how I can ever repay you..."

"Don't you worry, Princess, I have every intention to protect the people of your country."

Finé felt like she was going to cry.

She was so happy that Izetta was willing to go that far for her country, but somewhere deep inside her, she just wished that her precious Izetta could be here, tucked safely beside her every night, far away from the war and violence outside. But instead, the witch, displaying the courage that soldiers twice her size might not have, thrusted herself headfirst into the battlefield, all because of Finé and her people.

 _I am going to regret this one day...aren't I...?_

Izetta carried a part of Finé's heart wherever she went, and Finé already knew that it was going to be utterly destroyed.

At least now she could breathe a little, because the only battles they had were weeks of intermittent warfare in neighboring countries...although Finé couldn't shake the feeling that this was the calm before the storm.

"Izetta..." she began, her lips shaking as she brought them to Izetta's forehead, "Can you promise me that...you will never overexert yourself, no matter what...?"

"Princess...?"

"I hate this. I hate that you have to go out there and risk your life every time. I hate that there is nothing I can do about it, because you are the only hope we have...but...sometimes I wonder that maybe...maybe we can just back out of this whole thing and...you can live safely in a mountain somewhere and..."

"Princess, this is my decision," Izetta interrupted, pulling back to look directly into Finé's eyes, "And I am not going to turn back. I'm sorry, I know you are worried, but please bear it for a little while longer. Please believe in me."

Finé bit her lower lip, her heart beating anxiously.

"You won't stop, no matter what I say?"

"No matter what you say," Izetta beamed, "Don't be so troubled, Princess. I will do anything I can for you..."

Izetta held out her hand, her fingers ghosting over Finé's cheek. "Anything...so...please..."

Finé tensed up at her touch.

 _This is it._

She could feel the tingling in her skin, and the burning heat from that pair of rubies in her eyes, which Finé interpret as Izetta's resolution to finally take the first step.

Finé couldn't help it, she gulped.

Time seemed to halt itself for the witch to wrap her fingers around the Archduchess's wrists. In mere seconds Izetta was hovering above her, and the sight of her flushing face and her deep, heavy breathing that shook the tips of her dashing red hair, nearly took Finé's breath away.

Then Izetta did.

It only took one slight, fleeting touch of their lips, and Finé was hooked.

Izetta was never the one who took the initiative before.

Finé had always enjoyed guiding her, kissing her, giving her a small taste of her tongue...but this...this was new.

Finé didn't have time to think about that, because Izetta wasn't stopping.

Going against everything Finé knew about her, Izetta's grip around her wrists tightened as she crashed her lips against those of the surprised blonde below her.

Finé gasped into her mouth, and within a second Izetta took the chance to sweep her tongue into her opening. Finé was trapped between astonishment and pleasure, she couldn't move as Izetta pinned her down on the bed and explored Finé's mouth as much as she desired. Their kissing became more intense, more passionate, and Finé was so light-headed that she didn't realize she was practically moaning into Izetta's throat. Finé desperately wanted to hug Izetta and pull her closer, but Izetta was persistently holding her down and the Archduchess was hopelessly under the witch's control.

Then Finé felt a throb from the lower part of her body, an almost irresistible impulse that was impossible to ignore.

This sensation was _leagues_ ahead of what Finé expected.

She was losing her mind, drowning in her arousal for Izetta dominating her on her own bed.

Then it all stopped just as quickly as it started.

Izetta pulled back from her, and with their breasts still pressing together she gazed at the breathless Archduchess with a concerned expression.

"Is that what we call...a Thermidorian kiss...?"

"A...a what...?"

Finé was still trying to gather her brainpower back to listen properly.

"Thermidorian kiss...um...making out...?" Izetta asked hesitantly.

Finé stared at her in complete disbelief.

 _Did she just seriously..._

 _Practice what she learned..._

As Finé looked at Izetta's expectant face, she couldn't deny in her mind that Izetta's effect on her was far bigger than she realized...especially now when Finé's cheeks were so hot she felt like steam would come out of her ears, and it took everything in her power to talk like a normal person.

 _That was..._

 _Hot..._

 _Way too hot..._

 _For goodness's sake..._

 _Can I even survive this in one piece..._

She learned to never, ever underestimate Izetta's innocence.


	3. Chapter 3: Lotte

A/N: Here's chapter 3! More shenanigans from our girls, a shocking revelation, and a little bit of heart to heart. Enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Lotte**

Izetta was the one of the most fascinating additions Lotte had ever seen in the castle.

She wasn't royalty, she wasn't a hired worker, she wasn't married into the family (although that's disputable), and she was not even an ordinary human.

Although Lotte never witnessed her powers first hand, she knew Izetta was invincible in the battlefield.

But if someone was to look at Izetta in her daily life, nobody would ever guess that this was the witch who was able to wreck tanks and warplanes like they were a child's toys.

Izetta remained humble and meek throughout her whole stay, and although Izetta's interpersonal skills still needed a lot of work, Lotte had never seen Archduchess Finé being this fond of anyone else.

But of course, the person who initially opposed to Izetta's arrival the most was none other than the Commander of the Royal Guards herself, Bianca.

Bianca had always been protective of the Archduchess, and Lotte understood that the commander took her job very seriously, even moments after she was introduced to her.

At least that was what Lotte convinced herself to think.

She had known Bianca for so long, they spent a lot of time around each other while doing their respective jobs for the royal family.

In a way she admired Bianca's dedication and sharpshooting expertise, while at the same time she found it cute that Bianca was actually a maiden at heart who still loved to cherish fairy tales. Lotte often accompanied Bianca sharpening her skills in the yard with the rest of the royal guards.

Finé always loved watching it, although Bianca secretly didn't want her to.

For some reason, she only wanted the Archduchess to see the perfect side of her.

Which was a bit strange for Lotte, because Finé never minded Bianca's flaws at all.

That was when Lotte noticed Bianca's slight blush, awkward mannerisms, and endearing commitment might hide deeper meaning than it seemed to be.

However, it was all but an intriguing, passing feeling.

Everything changed when Izetta dropped the bombshell that she and Finé were secretly dating right under their noses.

Lotte thought Bianca would be overjoyed about this news...but she didn't, and it confirmed Lotte's suspicions.

However, when she watched how much Bianca tried to help Izetta and make Finé happy, she couldn't help but feel a little sad.

 _Why is Bianca doing this to herself...?_

It kept Lotte wondering...but Bianca wasn't showing signs of stopping anytime soon.

Lotte and Izetta were waiting for Bianca in one of the rooms in the castle, and Lotte just finished combing her hair. The maid just stepped down from her stool and Izetta was in the middle of recounting Finé's reaction to her move the night before when they heard Bianca's distraught voice getting louder and louder.

"I know you are here with the best of intentions... but we really don't need..."

"Don't mind it, don't mind, now where is that adorable little girl? ?"

"Elvira, you're...don't skip like that while wearing high heels, you'll trip!"

"I'm absolutely thrilled! My baby Izetta is all grown up! I can't wait to see her! _Izetta_...!"

The door of their room opened with a loud bang.

Elvira was there, the bespectacled Atlantian wrapped in a low-cut black dress, stockings, and boots, all of which emphasized her aura of sexual maturity.

If only the person herself was mature though.

Elvira, with her legs as far apart from each other that her miniskirt would allow, opened her arms wide open and shouted at the top of her lungs, "Izetta...! I can't believe this...! You actually _interest yourself_ in adult stuff! I knew you are growing...! _Come here and let me_ _measure you again...!_ "

Izetta's first reaction was to flee.

Lotte saw how her expression changed from pure horror to full-on calculating like the one she usually showed in her pictures in the battlefield. Lotte thought it was beautiful...at least until the three of them saw Izetta made a decision to grab Lotte's stool from the floor and freaking climb up a windowsill.

"Izetta-sama? ?" Lotte exclaimed.

"Izetta...! ? This is the third floor...! !" Bianca screamed.

"It doesn't matter! I can-"

"Are you out of your mind! ? LANDSBRUCK DOESN'T _HAVE_ LEY LINES!"

"Maybe if I will it hard enough I can...! Grandma said the first witch can fly without ley-"

"Izetta...!"

A familiar concerned voice called her from the garden outside the window.

"What are you doing there...?"

The distracted, lovesick Izetta, with one leg already extended outside of the window, raised her arms and waved them in an enthusiastic attempt to greet the Archduchess.

"Princess...! Good afternoo- _whoa! !_ "

"Watch out...!"

Bianca lunged toward the window just in time when Izetta's foot slipped and she disappeared from Lotte and Elvira's sight.

The result of that whole panicked mess was Izetta dangling from the window with Lotte's stool, Bianca barely holding her hand as her butt nearly slipped past the sill, and the Archduchess of Eylstadt having the absolute weirdest day in her whole life.

* * *

After doing their best to explain to Finé that no one was drunk and nothing was wrong or intentional, the four of them was back to being sitted in the room. Izetta made sure she sat across from a mildly disappointed Elvira.

"Ahem," Bianca cleared her throat, she was yelling so much her voice was a bit hoarse, "Now that we have established that no one's touching anyone's breasts today... let me elaborate. Elvira here has...something that she wants to say to us."

"I heard about you guys and I want in."

"No," Izetta replied abruptly.

"Such quick refusal! But hey, I have inside information for the Archduchess's...bedroom preferences. How 'bout that...?"

Both Bianca and Izetta raised their eyebrows. They probably didn't realize how similar they were, and Lotte found it a little amusing.

"The Archduchess sometimes confides in me, and yes, despite being a ruler or a country, she's just like all the other maidens out there. She wants that touch of love. Izetta's touch," she said with a dramatic gesture, "However, the Archduchess is still too naive to understand that not everyone can have sex like they're a pair of intermeshing cogs. Hell, I bet noone can. There are upsides and downsides and sides you'd both hate to see of each other, but you have no choice but to shut your trap and lap it up because people have been telling you for centuries that sex is awesome and would never fail. That is so wrong...!"

"Um...and your point?" Bianca asked.

Elvira pointed her finger at Izetta. "Prepare for disappointments. Work on it. Don't just blindly eat it. Give her the orgasm of your life, while having one yourself. If that fails, don't just sit around and cry. Try again. And most important of all, have fun with it. Make her happy, and this is one of the best ways there is," she said, "Now that I get that disclaimer out of the way, I'm going to give you some tips on how to get closer to that goal. Rule number one is, good ol' confidence. You don't have to be a dominatrix, you just have to be sure of yourself! Your charms will shine naturally with that, and the Archduchess would love the sex and the orgasm that comes with it very, very much. Any questions?"

Izetta raised her hand.

"Yes, Izetta?"

"Uh..." she said, "What's an orgasm?"

Elvira stared at her, then at Lotte, who was smiling apologetically, and at Bianca, who gave her an uncaring "you-asked-for-this" shrug.

"...Thank goodness I remembered to give that disclaimer."

* * *

Lotte felt that it was probably ten years too early for Izetta to learn about all this stuff.

Lotte knew, sex education was important in this day and age, but their "lesson" was going nowhere, as Izetta kept interrupting the explanation to ask about every little bit of jargon that came her way. It wouldn't be too long until Elvira lost her patience and asked someone to interpret everything for her.

Visually.

"You two! Instead of just standing there uselessly, come and help me out!"

"Huh? Help what?" Bianca asked, flabbergasted.

"This witch has been living under a rock her whole life, it would take forever for her to understand positions, so be our mannequins and get to it."

"What the heck are you making us do? ?"

But before Bianca could protest further, Elvira had pulled Lotte by the hand and pushed her down on the couch.

"Elvira-sama? ? What..."

"Just lie down over there. Bianca!"

"What is it?"

"Show us the missionary position."

Both of their jaws dropped.

"I don't have much time, you'd better make it quick," Elvira tapped her foot impatiently.

"I...missionary position? ?"

"You know the drill. Bend over her, pretend to touch her, and done," she said, like it was the most normal thing in the world.

Bianca and Lotte's eyes met for a moment, and they noticed each other's furiously blushing cheeks.

"I'm...I'm not doing it..."

"Why? Do you want to give a demonstration with Izetta instead?"

"No...! Finé-sama won't forgive me for that...! C-can't we just draw it or something? ?" Bianca blurted out as the color drained from Izetta's face.

"Oh, good point, why didn't I think of that?" Elvira said, and directly searched for a pen and paper, "I also have some lesbian erotica that might interest you, Izetta. You might want to read them."

Izetta sighed in relief. "Oh, thank you. ...Is 'Lesbian Erotica' some sort of guidebook?"

"...as long as you can separate fiction from reality..." Elvira groaned.

Throughout the rest of the lesson, Lotte couldn't bring herself to look at Bianca's eyes.

 _Bianca refuses it because it's embarrassing, right?_ This thought kept looping inside her head, _There is no other reason...right...?_

 _"Finé-sama won't forgive me for that...!"_

 _Oh..._

 _There's also that reason,_ she thought gloomily.

* * *

"Finé-sama is a romantic at heart. She's the kind of girl who would take her date to a ball and treat her like a queen. She knows how to steal a girl's heart. We just need to interest her in the _perfect_ situation and let romance do the rest," Elvira suggested.

"And that is...?"

"Oh!" Lotte piped up, "I heard from Finé-sama that they didn't get to dance in Lord Redford's party. She looked so bummed out, maybe we can do something about that."

Elvira gazed at her curiously. "Why didn't you get to dance, Izetta?"

"That's...um..." she looked around nervously, "We just...didn't...?"

Now that she mentioned it, Lotte also found it very strange. It was true that Izetta never really mastered the intricacies of ballroom dancing, but...

"I heard it's a masquerade. How is it _possible_ that you didn't...?"

"Uh...we...got interrupted," Izetta admitted.

"You mean someone tried to steal you away from her? You must be too stunning, Izetta-sama," Lotte said, half-joking.

When Izetta didn't reply and instead stared at the floor in embarassment, the three of them cried at her, " _Someone did? ?_ "

Izetta flinched so hard in her denial she nearly fell off her chair. "No! I stayed with Princess the whole time! It's just that...this strange girl did something to me out of the blue and..."

"Did what?"

"She kissed me on the lips and..."

"SHE _WHAT! ?_ "

"...bit my lip in front of Princess and..."

"OH MY _GOD_ -"

"IZETTA, _WHAT_ -"

"YOU KISSED _ANOTHER GIRL_ THAT MUCH? ?"

"YOU _CHEATED_ ON FINÉ-SAMA? ? _RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER_? ?"

The whole castle could probably hear their screams now.

"I didn't! She just suddenly- B-Bianca why are you pulling out your gun...?"

Bianca's eyes were flashing dangerously. "No one cheated on Finé-sama and lives..."

"Whoa, _HOLD IT._..!"

A simultaneous tackle from Elvira and Lotte later, Bianca was lying on the floor, and it took ten whole minutes of Izetta babbling out an explanation before Bianca stopped struggling and trying to reach for her gun.

"We must hold a dance party for you," a pissed-off Elvira said, "I don't care if it's just for the two of you. We _must_!"

* * *

After Izetta confessed that she had no confidence in her dancing skills, they decided that they should just hold a private evening dance session under the stars for Finé and Izetta.

They looked for the perfect night, when it was unlikely to rain, and made some simple preparations on the castle rooftop: some decorations and lighting, a gramophone, a table with two chairs for the candlelit dinner afterward. They asked Izetta if she wanted to wear a dress, and she just said that her white witch uniform was enough.

Lotte even put her handwriting skills to use by designing a cute little invitation for Finé, which she accepted joyfully like she just received a slice of her favorite pie.

Lotte was delighted to see the Archduchess so happy like that, but when she thought about Bianca, her feelings became messed up again.

She tried her best not to think about it when she was helping Bianca putting on the leafy decorations on the railings. The skies were an expanse of vast darkness with dots of sparkling stars intermixed with patches of grayish clouds. It was supposed to be a happy day, but a gloomy atmosphere blanketed them as they worked in silence. Or maybe that was just how Lotte felt, because Bianca still looked the same as always.

"Um...but will this be okay...? Finé-sama...she might have more important things to do..."

"I've rechecked it, her schedule today is free. Just relax, Finé-sama is interested in doing anything with Izetta-sama," Lotte replied.

"Is that so?" Bianca chuckled.

Lotte stared at her. Bianca seemed to be in a good enough mood to be humming to herself as she worked.

Lotte swallowed and braced herself.

"Bianca..." she started, "What do you think about Finé-sama and Izetta-sama...?"

Bianca gazed at her curiously. "What do I think...?"

"Yeah...are you happy for them...?"

Her eyes looked empty for a moment. "I should be happy for them, aren't I...?" she smiled, "What I think doesn't matter in the slightest."

Lotte's brows furrowed. "It matters for me."

"What?" she said, surprised.

"Bianca, why are you doing this? If Izetta-sama knows..."

"If Izetta and Finé-sama are happy then what else matters?"

It sounded like a statement of defeat.

Lotte understood, Bianca cared a lot for both Finé and Izetta. She didn't want to get in their way. Her feelings were doomed from the start...and Lotte had no right to intrude.

But she was just...so angry at Bianca.

"Nobody forced her you to help Izetta-sama to this extent. If you don't want to do this, you can just be honest."

"I..." Bianca said quietly, "...like Izetta and Finé-sama. I want them to be happy, just like you do. And it is interesting to see Izetta trying so hard like that. I am intrigued to know more about them."

Lotte didn't buy it.

"Will you stop acting like a tragic heroine or something?"

"What? Who are you calling a tragic heroine?"

"Anyone can see you sulking while putting on those fake tinsels on the rails! You're acting like you've done a noble deed or something, like this is one of your royal guard job, but guess what, it is not."

"Making Finé-sama happy is a part of my job!"

"Then what about yourself? ?"

"It's not important! Why do you care anyway?"

"Because it's annoying seeing you do this whole self-sacrificial thing!"

Lotte was practically shouting at her now, and although Lotte was much shorter and smaller than Bianca, her raised voice still made the royal guard flinch.

They were lucky Finé or Izetta was not around, but Lotte didn't think she would care much. She didn't know why Bianca's behavior had become intolerable for her. Her selflessness and loyalty was intrinsic to her character, that Lotte also liked very much.

"I know...that you would do anything for Finé-sama...and it's not just because of your job," Lotte said with a bitter smile, "You are always so obvious about it, Bianca...even Elvira-sama knows. Even I know."

Bianca refused to look at her, a blush filling her cheek with color.

"And this is not the right way to deal with heartbreak. You might be smiling, but Izetta-sama would find out about your true feelings sooner or later, and she won't be happy about that. She'll stop you from helping her."

"Then she doesn't need to find out."

"But-"

Bianca put a finger against Lotte's lips. "Just..." she sighed deeply, "Just think of this as my way to cope with it...okay? Please."

"Bianca..."

"Please don't tell Izetta or Finé-sama. I beg of you," she pleaded, "I didn't lie. I want them both to be happy. They deserve to be happy while they can. This moment might not last forever."

Bianca patted Lotte on the head and said, "Thank you for being worried about me. But I am honestly fine with this. Finé-sama and Izetta love each other...and it is my duty-no, my wish, to support them with everything I can."

Bianca's gloved hand felt so warm on the top of Lotte's head.

"You are a good girl, Lotte...you understand," she smiled, probably not realizing the tears that welled up in Lotte's eyes, "You're probably the only one who can understand."

"...because I'm your friend...?"

"Because you're my best friend who has served Finé-sama with me for so long," she chuckled, "She's basically our child already. And I sometimes think that little tomboy princess who lies to her guards and sneaks out of the palace in her spare time would never settle down with anybody. Do you remember what the old butlers said about how she would give flowers to pretty girls in the playground, or insist on becoming their prince when they play make believe? Maybe we should have suspected that she's into girls in a big way...but who'd expect that she would be this infatuated with a witch? If Finé-sama ever gives an honest interview about her relationship with Izetta, it would be national news."

Lotte looked at her, observing her expression.

She could swore that she saw a glimpse of a single teardrop rolling down her cheek, but Bianca was clearly beaming at her.

 _If..._

 _If Finé-sama loves Izetta-sama because she is so selfless..._

 _Why can't she fall in love with Bianca...?_

"I'll be okay. I still have you, don't I?" she said with a naughty grin.

 _How could she laugh when she is in pain...?_

Lotte felt like there was still a lot that she didn't understand.

However, she would learn eventually.

Especially...the hot heartbeat in her chest that appeared whenever their skin made contact with each other.

* * *

A/N: Next stop: Izetta, a chapter filled with lots of love! Please R&R!


	4. Chapter 4: Izetta

**Chapter 4: Izetta**

Izetta didn't quite remember when her feelings fell together like tiny interlocking pieces.

She only remembered those pieces scattered around her, popping up every time she saw the Archduchess's beautiful smile, but she could never figure out how to really fit them together.

There were happiness there, adoration, respect, the desire to protect...

But those things just filled up her chest from time to time, and she didn't quite understand why or how they were there.

She just took everything for granted.

She had always liked the princess ever since they first met.

Izetta assumed her affection for Finé was just the same as everyone else's in Eylstadt.

Little Finé was a natural born ruler.

Sometimes she held Izetta's hand and pulled her out to play with the local kids. At first Izetta was horrified, but Finé told her it would be better for her to make more friends than not. Finé assured her she didn't have to reveal her magic if she didn't want to.

That was when Izetta realized that she was never welcomed in that village.

The children picked on her, called her names, and insulted her peculiar red eyes.

For the whole first day she hid behind Finé's back, and Finé would scold anyone who dared to bully Izetta until they backed down, using physical force when necessary.

Even in that age, her charisma and will of iron shone through.

She didn't even need to tell anyone she was a princess; the kids seemed to hesitantly respect her just from her demeanor alone.

She would solve playground fights, and proudly told Izetta afterward that her father taught her how to play an intermediary role in a dispute.

She looked so mature and amazing, that Izetta wondered why she even bothered with an outcast like Izetta.

Especially because the bullies just wouldn't leave her alone...and Finé would always be there to defend her.

"Say that her red eyes are weird _one_ more time, _I dare you...!_ "

"Stop! We give up!"

"Aren't you the girl from the villa? You might be rich, but you're stupid! Why are you siding with her? No other kid has red eyes like her, she must be _cursed_! She's a demon!"

"So what? Why do you care? You're the demons for bullying her like that!"

"She's scary! Run!"

"I'll tell Mom!"

"Run back home and never come back, you creeps!"

She never minded coming back to Izetta with scrapes all over her body and dirt covering her expensive skirt.

Then she would hug Izetta and give her a tearful apology...

As if she was trying to make up to the fact that her people could not treat Izetta like she did.

As if she was trying to assure Izetta that she would never, ever betray her or hate her.

And that was honestly all that Izetta needed.

One person.

Just one person who could be her hope.

But everything ended when the villagers showed their true colors to Izetta and the young witch saw death for the first time.

She only survived because Finé protected her, then she ran back to her grandmother while her forehead was still bleeding, and fled.

She never saw Finé again ever since.

 _Izetta...the cursed child..._

She knew that, as a witch, she would continue to bring sorrow to everyone around her.

But as long as she believed that Finé was safe and well in a castle somewhere, she could move on with her life.

She became more careful as she got older, she could control her magic to the point that she could stay in one place for extended periods of time.

Then she moved to a small village at the western edge of Eylstadt, between the Duchy and Westria, and the people there began to accept her as one of their own. She chose that place because the ley lines were sparse in that area and it helped her hide her magic, and the people there were easy-going in nature, Izetta lived and worked in a tiny inn and the owner never even interviewed her for the job.

However, a nation had already set their eyes on Eylstadt...a strong imperialistic nation called Germania.

Within days they invaded their neighboring countries, interned and slaughtered countless people, including the village that Izetta resided in.

And they all died because of her.

Those murderers literally came there for her, and they didn't stop at just intimidating people, they burnt their houses and shot their heads to lure Izetta out.

"The girl with the red eyes...! Where is _she_?"

"We don't want to waste time here. We know she is here."

"There is a girl here with eyes as red as blood. Hand her to us _now_. Or we will wipe this dirty village off the map."

 _Izetta, the cursed child._

 _You would never find peace wherever you go._

But Izetta refused to accept it.

That was probably the first time in her life she didn't care what happened to her if she revealed her magic.

She wiped out an entire platoon in her anger, but the place didn't have much ley lines that she heavily depended on, and there were too many of those soldiers that she was easily cornered.

Without her magic, she was just an ordinary girl.

She was captured and put inside an ice-cold tube, and before she fainted, the last thing she heard was that they were going to transport her in a train to Westria before flying her off to Germania.

And when she woke up again, in a strange twist of fate, she saw a familiar figure right in front of her.

She thought it was a dream, there was probably something in that tube that sedated her.

But she didn't care if it was a dream.

She would give _anything_ to see Finé's face again.

The plane flew right over a ley-line-heavy place when Izetta regained consciousness and her magic went right into work.

She couldn't hold back her tears when she could hold and touch her beloved princess again.

Danger still lurked in every corner, but Izetta never felt happier in her life.

She was here, right beside Finé, helping her in a war when she desperately needed Izetta's help.

Izetta knew she was being selfish.

The Princess was too kind, she would never let Izetta interfere if Izetta didn't take her own initiative.

If Izetta got hurt, Finé would definitely blame herself.

So Izetta would not let that happen.

Magic alone was not sufficient to win the war.

Her quick thinking and superhuman reflexes proved invaluable in the battlefield, and there were times when Izetta thought she was really going to die.

But when she remembered how much she loved Finé's smile, she thought it was all worth it in the end. She also fell in love with Eylstadt, with its spectacular landscape intersected with gorgeous mountains and rivers, its warm-hearted people, and the streets that smelled like freshly baked pies. She wanted to protect them all.

Izetta was also happy to be able to share a roof with Finé, although it got really awkward more times than she could count.

For example, the Archduchess was not as dignified as she appeared to be, and Izetta learned this little fact the hard way.

Finé occasionally went out of the shower completely naked, and when Izetta saw that for the first time ever, she nearly experienced an absolutely different kind of dying.

That definitely made her learn to knock on doors before getting inside a room at all times.

"Princess, I'm very sorry to barge in...! There is something I need to..." The witch instantly froze like a statue, "...tell...you."

Even the drops of water from her mesmerizing curves were still wetting the carpet.

She casually dried her long golden hair with her towel and asked the stunned redhead on the door like it was the most normal thing in the world, "Oh, Izetta? What is it?"

Izetta's mouth was locked shut.

She felt like her heart just suddenly stopped beating.

She couldn't stop her eyes from wandering, drinking in every last inch of that breathtaking sight.

She ever saw Finé nearly naked when they were younger, but...

But this felt...different...

So very different that she could _never_ compare it.

It seemed like it lasted forever, but Izetta knew she only had a few seconds left before her blush gave everything away.

" _I am very sorry!_ " she screeched before slamming the door behind her and ran as fast she could to the opposite direction. She didn't stop running until she reached a balcony at the farthest corner of the castle and she would definitely fly away further if only Landsbruck had any ley lines. She stayed there until nighttime and made everyone worried. Finé even apologized to her and said that she was so used to casual nudity in her room that she forgot Izetta never really knew that before. Izetta remembered how easily Lotte undress her when she first arrived in the castle, and now she understood why.

However, that perfect image never really left Izetta's mind.

Finé loved wandering around her castle in her nightgown, and that gave Izetta a constant reminder of that flawless shape of her body.

She thought about it so much she dreamt about it sometimes.

And that made her wonder what the _heck_ was wrong with her.

For the inexperienced, clueless Izetta, this was far more confusing then deciding to throw herself into battle.

 _Friends don't think of each other's bodies like that...do they...?_

Then one night she had a very strange dream where the Archduchess was naked on the top of her body and she woke up so fast she almost fell off her bed.

Dreams were open to interpretation...but if she was to tell somebody about it, anyone, especially those who were protective of Finé, like Bianca, would definitely make her stay away from the Archduchess at all times.

 _Why am I like this?_

How could she have such thoughts of the girl who had saved her life?

Was friendship not enough for her?

Just how selfish could she be?

But her mind and body continued to interrelate, she couldn't deny the attraction she felt for the beautiful Archduchess, and the mysterious tiny pieces in her chest began to arrange themselves, interspersed with hesitation and doubt.

She still couldn't quite understand it though. After all, she never felt this way with anybody else. This never appeared in _any_ of her grandmother's teachings.

But she was not surprised.

She found out when she was young that there were still so many things she didn't know out there.

She remembered when one of the bullies teased her, "Where are your parents?" and she realized she didn't even know what the word "parents" meant.

It never came to her that her magic and nomadic lifestyle weren't the only things that isolated her from the rest of the normal children out there.

She couldn't ask her grandmother because it meant that she would found out that Izetta had been playing with the other children and risked getting her magic exposed.

So she turned to Finé...but when she asked the princess what parents meant, Finé became teary-eyed and hugged her so tightly that Izetta couldn't bring herself to mention it anymore.

Then they got separated for some time, and it was in the intervening years that she found out what it was, and how men and women paired for life to raise a child in something that was called a "marriage".

It felt foreign for Izetta. She never knew such a concept existed before her teenage years.

When she got older and started living in a village on her own, she immediately attracted a horde of suitors.

The nagging older women around her took notice of her good looks and invariable courtesy, so much that they ignored her vague background and were constantly pushing her to pair up with one of their sons.

The same went with the younger women, especially when they started gossiping around her in the inn.

"That man is making eyes on you, Izetta."

"You are so pretty, I don't think any man can resist your charms."

"Don't you want to date one of them?"

"Uh..." Izetta always felt clueless when it came to these things, "Why should I date a man?"

"Silly girl, it's so you can be an item and deepen your relationship, and one day, if things work well, he would propose to you and you could get married."

"Married..."

She had heard that word being mentioned a few times there.

It meant that two people loved each other so much, they were willing to live together forever and raise a family.

"Hey, Izetta, tell us which of them you like the most!"

"Eh...? That's... I...I don't know..."

"Aw, don't be shy. You know, the one who made you all happy and tingly inside."

"The one you miss the most when you lie on your bed at night."

"And the one whom you don't mind spending a lot of time with."

"Maybe even the rest of your life!"

Izetta only gave them a small smile while they were giggling about.

To tell the truth, none of the guys ever made her feel that way.

They were all but passing faces to her, especially the ones with more in-your-face attitude, and it didn't really matter for her when they tried to woo her or hand her gifts.

She was far more interested in the girl who saved her life years ago. One of her neighbors' family member worked as a journalist and she would go to Landsbruck once in a while to conduct an interview with the Archduke or the country's other high officials. There she would share the candid pictures that she took of the princess when she accompanied her father in official meetings for Izetta to have, and honestly nothing could be more priceless to her. The villagers didn't really talk much about the princess, but she knew they adored the wise Archduke, especially since he lowered some taxes and invested heavily in public transport.

She watched how the princess got more and more beautiful alongside the passage of time. She wondered if Finé still remembered about her...probably not. She was just a lowly commoner Finé happened to meet, although for Izetta, Finé was more precious to her than anybody else, much more than those men could ever be.

 _"You know, the one who made you all happy and tingly inside."_

 _"The one you miss the most when you lie on your bed at night."_

 _"And the one whom you don't mind spending a lot of time with."_

 _"Maybe even the rest of your life!"_

For Izetta, her answer might be silly for some.

But she already knew her answer for sure ever since two girls fell into the water that day, ever since she gazed breathlessly into those eyes bluer than the sky.

She also knew who she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

And to actually be reunited with her again, to actually have the possibility to live together forever with her, was already more than Izetta could be eternally thankful for.

However...when she found out that Finé had a potential suitor who tried to marry her, she felt like her heart was being broken into countless tiny pieces.

The idea that Finé would be in love and married with a man whom Izetta never knew or saw...was simply unacceptable to her, and it confused her to no end.

 _I love Princess's smile._

 _I want her to be happy and being married means she can be happy, right...?_

 _Then... why can't I be happy for her...?_

 _Why do I think so much of her body...?_

 _Why can't I treat her like my other friends, or the men whom I met in the village back then...?_

Was it because she protected Izetta...?

She would be grateful for that until the day she died...but she felt this was different.

She knew she shouldn't be musing this when she was right there in the Archduchess's arms, but then Finé's laugh intruded into Izetta's thoughts like lightning.

"Well, if you are so against it, then why don't you take responsibility and be my bride?"

Her heart was threatening to stop at that instant, although Finé probably didn't notice because it sounded like a light-hearted joke in Izetta's ears.

Then she watched how Finé's eyes softened and her voice lowered into a whisper, so pleasantly smooth and dripping with honey that it sucked the air out of Izetta's lungs.

The way that she assured Izetta that she wanted her and nobody else, melted the witch into a puddle of tears.

It was when she fully realized just how much she wanted her Princess.

It was surreal knowing that Finé felt the same, that Finé wished to marry her, that Finé could literally choose any royalty in the world and she chose _her_.

She couldn't be happier, she couldn't care less if she died now.

Only that death was a very real possibility.

 _I am a cursed child._

 _Wherever I go, there would never be peace._

She had an intuition that something bad would happen in the near future...but she could not stop repelling those invaders.

And that's why...

"...They deserve to be happy while they can..." she heard Bianca's calm voice, "This moment might not last forever."

Izetta remained hidden behind a pillar, deciding that she would not reveal herself to Bianca and Lotte, who continued their conversation while they worked.

She had heard enough to understand how much she had hurt them both.

 _Izetta... the cursed child._

 _You would bring sorrow to everyone around you..._

And one day, she knew she would hurt Finé too.

She knew she would hurt her so much, that not even her father's death would compare.

And yet here she was, still charging toward that deep end.

 _I'm sorry...Princess._

 _I love you._

 _I love your smile._

 _I love your country._

 _I don't want to stop and separate myself from you._

 _I will inundate you with all my heart._

 _So I will never give up, I will keep going... until the last drop of blood from this body has been shed for you._

* * *

When it came the time to choose the dress that she would wear to her dance with Finé, Izetta decided that she didn't want to bother with a corset anymore, so she settled on her white witch uniform.

After all, she adored how Finé called her her white witch.

Perhaps that was the beginning of everything.

The moment that she looked into those sparkling eyes and heard her excited melodious voice that reverberated in her ears for years to come.

 _"But I believe, that the legend of the Weisse Hexe is real...!"_

At that time, she couldn't fathom why Finé liked that legend so much.

Her grandmother had always told her that the White Witch was a traitor, someone who was so thoroughly despised in the witch community, a harbinger of ruin that was also the reason Izetta became the last of her kind.

But apparently, the people of Eylstadt saw her as a hero, and it made Izetta think.

That perhaps...someone like her could also use her power for good, that nobody would feel intimidated if she did something with these powers she hated.

And Finé was the whole reason it came true.

This white dress was the proof.

So she stood anxiously there on the castle rooftop, wrapped in the pearly white fabric in the quiet of the night, waiting for her beloved to come to her underneath the gentle glow of the moonlight.

 _"She looked so bummed out...maybe we can do something about that..."_

When they didn't get to dance in Lord Redford's party, Finé only told her that it was okay.

Izetta should've realized that she was disappointed inside.

Just like when she chuckled after she found out that Izetta was not ready to have sex with her.

Finé was just too kind and patient.

And this time, Izetta wanted to make it right.

She wanted to make Finé happy...even if just for a little.

Their decision to hold a dance for Finé and Izetta was correct, because Finé seemed very enthusiastic about it, judging from how she was arguing so loudly with Bianca while they ascended that Izetta could hear her every word.

"Come on...why can't you lend me one of your royal guard uniforms...?"

"Because an Archduchess should not be wearing a royal guard uniform. You don't need it, Finé-sama."

"I just...like how it looks, you know."

"But you're already wearing a tux."

"That's different! Give me a break, Bianca, I was so busy I didn't have time to change, so I just wore this to the meeting and went straight here. It's all messy now. I shouldn't have worn this there anyway, the women there kept staring at me, although I told them to stop!"

"Gee, I wonder why they stared."

"Bianca...!"

"You don't need to dress up or anything, Finé-sama, just your normal clothes is enough. You're not a kid anymore. Do you still want to pretend to be a princess's royal guard or anything like that?"

"Wha...where did you hear that story from? ?"

"Well, I heard that they always offered you the role of a princess in school plays, since you're an actual _princess,_ but you invariably refused and asked for the role of the royal guard instead..."

"That's...!"

"And that you ordered a gown to be made for Lord Redford's party...but only for Izetta. And everyone wondered why you would order a specially designed, extremely princely _royal guard uniform_ in your size...for... 'spare clothes', in inverted commas."

"That's, that's just because...!"

"Give it up, Finé-sama, we all know you only want to look all gallant and chivalrous in front of Izetta," Bianca said with a playful tone.

Finé made some irritable, unintelligible noises and Izetta felt her face burning.

When Bianca and Finé finally showed up, Finé's reaction of seeing Izetta standing there bashfully was pure shock.

"Wha...I-Ize...Bianca, why didn't you tell me she's already here? Did...did she hear everything? ?"

Bianca gave Izetta a knowing look. "Beats me."

"Bianca...!"

With still crimson cheeks, Izetta watched Bianca half-heartedly apologizing to the grumbling blonde.

In Izetta's eyes, Finé had always been invulnerably gallant and chivalrous.

She didn't even need to try.

She could be a little irresponsible at times, but her irreverent attitude was endearing and she was ready to give everything she had when it mattered.

Izetta had been idolizing her since she was so young.

So there she was, in a dashing black tuxedo, a formal white shirt, a pair of gloves, and a black tie that she wore to her recent meeting, looking more like a hero in Izetta's eyes than Finé probably believed. She couldn't even imagine dancing with someone so dazzling but...

 _Here goes..._

"P...Princess...!"

Izetta's breathless voice cut Finé and Bianca's conversation short.

Finé was staring at her with the reddest cheeks Izetta had ever seen, and seeing that was enough to make Izetta blush herself.

"You girls are hopeless..." Bianca teased, glancing at her watch, "The food will be ready in one hour's time. Enjoy yourselves until then."

With a wink and a flip of her iron-grey hair, she turned on the gramophone and descended quicker than she went up, leaving Finé and Izetta alone with the awkwardness still hanging in the air.

The usually cool and composed Archduchess was now looking more anxious and embarrassed than ever, and this unusual side of her only made Izetta adore her more.

Then Finé seemed to remember that she was the freaking Archduchess and being tongue-tied was something she must avoid at all cost.

"So...um..." she cleared her throat, looking more stiff than usual, "I received your invitation, Izetta."

"Ah...that was Lotte's idea," Izetta blurted out.

"Oh, so you didn't make that?"

"My handwriting can never be that good, Princess..."

"Oh...no...no wonder..." Finé said, her face flushing again, "The letter said that you want to see me wear a...n-never mind..."

 _What did Lotte write in that invitation letter? ?_

Izetta groaned inwardly. She didn't want to think about it, especially now that Finé was so close in front of her, but if the Archduchess seemed so tense because of what she wrote, she made a mental note to ask Lotte about it later (and also thank her because Finé looked positively _stunning_ in that suit).

Now was the time for the two of them.

Izetta took a deep breath. "Princess," she said, and Finé made a tiny wince, "We...didn't get to dance in Lord Redford's party...and it wasn't supposed to be like that. I can't dance that well, but I want to do it with you. Especially now that we... have a chance to do it."

Neither of them believed that this peace would last. They understood it well enough, the sickening anxiety lurking at the back of their minds at all times. Izetta was not afraid to go to the battlefield for Finé's sake, or even die there for her, but she was aware that Finé would be deeply saddened if something was to happen to her, an irreversible injury, or even death. Nothing could go completely smoothly in a war.

Finé gave out a nervous laugh. "You make it sound like something bad would happen..."

"But we all know something bad would happen."

"Stop saying it so casually."

Finé's voice became firmer than before, but Izetta noticed the tiny shake by the end and she felt a wrench in her heart.

"I'm sorry...I just feel so...insecure," she went on, "Even if it would...you never, even once, show in your face that you are afraid of what's coming. You were always smiling and irradiated with joy, always all 'leave it to me, Princess!' ... as if...as if you don't care what happens to you as long as you can fight for me and I feel... so silly and irrational, because I seem to be the only one who feared that every time you go out there smiling, you would come back a dead body. And it would be all _because of me_. I was jittery, I had nightmares. And when you were out there, in the middle of bombs and gunfire and I don't know what else, there was nothing I could do but wait...and sometimes it was so excruciating that, even though my people need me, I wish I could be there riding that rifle with you just so I could be there to hug your dead body and maybe die together with-"

"Princess...!"

It got so unbearable for Izetta that she had no choice but to interrupt her rambling with a heartfelt embrace. It worked... she heard Finé's single sharp intake of breath and then...silence.

For a while they just stood there, with Izetta's arms wrapped around Finé's waist, enjoying each other's warmth seeping into their bodies. Izetta could feel the Archduchess's heartbeat against her chest, and she understood...

She understood Finé's fears, she understood that if Izetta herself hugged this body and couldn't feel this calming heartbeat ever again...it would utterly shatter her, a damage so irreparable and devastating that she could die. However...

"...Izetta...aren't I stupid...?" Finé whispered, "Someone who is entrusted with the lives of many people cannot focus on just one person..."

"Princess..."

"Even if..." she choked out, "...Even if... that person is the one she loves the most in the world..."

Izetta couldn't reply. It was what she loved about the Archduchess, it was what made Finé Finé. Her willingness to sacrifice everything for her country... Izetta included.

But Izetta didn't mind.

She wanted this peace to last forever, so she had to fight for it.

"Princess, I'm right here," she inhaled deeply, taking Finé's pleasant citrus scent in, "I'm right here with you. Our worries are irrelevant at the moment. We have each other now."

She pulled back and flashed a smile at her. She took a step back, pulled her white skirt out from her body and curtseyed.

"...So can I...have this dance, Princess...?"

Finé gazed at her in awe for a few moments, a look that Izetta adored so much, befofe giving her a slight nod.

Finé held out her hand, just like a few months ago when they were outside Lord Redford's mansion, and this time, Izetta accepted it.

Finé's hand reached her waist and they started slow, with the soft waltz music from the gramophone playing in the background, the gentle notes soaring and covering them. Izetta had seen Finé dance once before, with Bianca during their practice. She was perfect and graceful, as if she had learned to dance since she was little. Then again, Finé was royalty, and it had always bothered Izetta that there was this uncrossable social gap between them, although the Archduchess always treated her as an equal, irrespective of status and wealth. In her nervousness Izetta tried to remember her footwork, and made her first stumble over Finé's foot.

Finé paused a bit and giggled. "Izetta, please be careful." She looked like she was enjoying it a lot, and Izetta felt relieved.

"Princess...you're much better than I am, I cannot hope to compare."

Finé let out a bubbly laugh, resting one hand on Izetta's cheek and pressing their foreheads together. "Who cares about that?"

Finé brought them to turn a circle, feet gliding on the floor, eyes twinkling with happiness as Izetta was carried away, and they both laughed in a delightful symphony, their voices playing a wonderful background to the romantic music. Izetta was a bit slow to catch up, but after a while they were in sync, two equals in the dance, like a pair of pixies under the moonlight. Izetta thought it was more about their minds than their bodies, like how much her feelings for this woman in front of her were overflowing, pushing her to match with Finé's elegant movements, trickling into her smile as their noses brushed against each other and the sparkles in her eyes seemed to bounce out into Izetta's world. There was something deeper, how they fed off each other's energy, how their bodies pressed close and moved around in fluid motion. Izetta could sense it buzzing in her veins, feeling light-headed with it and the way Finé smelt, the way she engulfed all that Izetta could see or feel. It was amazing how Finé could make her fuzzy and floating inside, more than when she was flying. Izetta was still clumsy with dancing, of course, she missed out a few of her steps, bent her arm the wrong way, and turned in entirely the wrong direction when Finé tried to spin her...but they didn't think much about it, all they cared about was having as much fun as they could to make up for the time they had lost...and the time they would lose.

They spun again until Finé effortlessly turned her around and let Izetta fall back against her chest, their arms twisting but staying interlocked. Izetta tried to pull away, but Finé suddenly swept her off her feet and Izetta almost lost her balance. In less than a second Finé smoothly leaned down and held her body by the waist underneath her, and Izetta caught her shoulder with one arm. It surprised her a little bit, but from Finé's grin she knew the Archduchess was definitely planning this all along.

Izetta's smile grew as Finé's face hovered above hers. "Will you let me go, Princess...?"

"Not before my White Witch gives me a kiss," she said, and Izetta could feel the fan of her breath across her cheek.

The temptation to wipe that grin off her face proved irresistible.

"Do you even need to ask?"

Izetta circled her arms around Finé's neck and pulled her down to close the little space there was between their lips. She closed her eyes and tilted her head, running her fingers through the golden locks of the Archduchess's hair as she lost herself in the long, delicate kiss and the addictive taste of Finé's lips on hers. She let Finé explore her, both inside her mouth and elsewhere, and the sensuous feeling deep inside her abdomen when one of Finé's hands crawled to her chest nearly made her cry out in pleasure. But the Archduchess was patient, she tested the waters, something she never dared to do before, and while she kept Izetta's mouth busy her hand was experimenting...brushing a thumb back and forth against Izetta's right nipple and she couldn't help but flinch.

Izetta couldn't describe how good it felt for her.

She stayed still, twisting her tongue inside Finé's mouth, wanting so badly to convince the Archduchess with her muffled moans that yes, it's okay to touch, and she was desperately wishing for _more_.

Before she realized it Finé was pulling their posture back straight again, but they couldn't stop kissing as they turned, their tongues twirling against each other as the music was replaced by wet gasps and whimpers in their ears. Finé couldn't seem to hold herself back anymore, and one would wonder just how much she had been doing it the whole time because all of a sudden she was pushing Izetta to the wall and pinning her against it, fiercely deepening their kiss as Izetta's head was tipped backward. In the midst of that blinding passion Izetta's arms found Finé's shoulders and wrapped themselves around them, their kiss quickly became more urgent and desperate, sloppy and filthy, teeth biting and tongues meeting halfway, and Izetta could feel Finé's breathless words against her throat.

 _More._

 _Izetta, more._

She could feel the Archduchess bucking her hips and thrusting her knee between Izetta's thighs and the witch's heart leapt to her throat.

She remembered this happening in one of those erotic books she received from Elvira, as she explained some of the scenes beside her.

 _"Izetta...listen up, okay? You would feel this strange sensation between your legs..."_

Finé's thigh slowly moved against her, giving Izetta more friction that made her painfully aware of how slick she already was down there.

 _"You would get wet, and it's a good thing. That is what we call arousal. It makes you more sensitive to the Archduchess's touch."_

She supposed this was what it meant to get more sensitive...but it was leaps and bounds better than Izetta imagined. Finé's mouth suddenly left hers and moved to her neck, so nothing was silencing Izetta's moans anymore and they were pouring out of her mouth freely as Finé hungrily sucked on her skin.

 _"...And it means you are ready to be taken by her."_

Ready...?

She was not just _ready_.

She was _itching_ for it.

She was craving it, _desperate_ for it...

"P...Prin...cess..."

"Izetta..." she exhaled, needily biting the pulse on the witch's neck, "Sorry...I can't...stop..."

"What about dinner...?"

"Let's skip it."

Izetta couldn't agree more.

She kissed Finé's forehead in approval and before long the Archduchess was already bridal carrying her to the closest empty bedroom in the castle. They didn't have the patience to choose, what was at issue was the need to lie together and relieve this barely controllable desire for each other's bodies right at that instant.

But as turned on as Finé was...she was deeply in love with Izetta. She put her on the bed gently, pulling off her dress with a glance and a whisper, "Is this alright?" before Izetta gave her a quick nod and a kiss to tell her that she wanted this as badly as she was. When she saw how Finé sensually opened her tux and unbutton her shirt, Izetta felt like her blood flow had been cut off from her brain and went directly to her lower body.

That night was long, and yet so short. Izetta remembered it happening like in her dreams...Finé's hot naked body pressing against hers and she felt like the luckiest girl in the world.

 _But aren't I a cursed child...?_

 _Do I deserve to be happy...?_

But something in Finé's warm smile...the way she slid her hand over Izetta's stomach, travelling down and dipping between her legs...the way her fingers worked their magic, making Izetta's breath hitch with her back arched on the bed and her hands shakily clutching on the sheets...the way they filled the room with breathy sounds and the fresh smell of sex and sweat... the way Izetta came with a blinding rush in Finé's embrace and the word "orgasm" now had a whole new meaning to her...

All those things convinced her that this life she was leading was completely worth it.

And as she opened her eyes in the wee hours of the morning, feeling her lover's arm draped over her naked body and her tiny breathing on the back of her neck...she realized that this moment was more magical than anything that she had ever accomplished.

Not even beating the Germanians could ever compare.

 _I don't regret being born a cursed child..._

 _I don't regret being born a witch..._

 _It was the only reason I got to meet Finé after all._

* * *

"Morning, Izetta, uh, whoa..."

"Morning, Bianca..." she yawned, "Did you have a good sleep...?"

"Yeah...well...uh..."

"That's great, I didn't really get a lot of sleep..."

"I...I think so...?"

"Why are you looking at me like that...?"

"Why are _you_ going out of your room looking like that...?"

"What...?"

"Have you looked into the mirror...?"

Izetta shook her head cluelessly.

Bianca groaned and dragged her to the nearest bathroom, showing her all the hickeys and love bites that covered her neck and chest.

Izetta nearly fainted.

"Wha...how did this happen? ?" she screamed, "What are these? ?"

"Elvira didn't tell you? Those were from how much Finé-sama was kissing you."

"Why are there so many of them? ?"

"So I assume the plan was a roaring success, huh. You're not a virgin anymore?"

"That's not important! My usual clothes won't cover any of these up...! Bianca, help me...!"

"What? Me? Lotte's the one who knows where all the other clothes are put!"

"Where's Lotte?"

"Give up looking for her. She's still irritated that you two didn't show up for dinner last night. I've told her you definitely wouldn't, and she didn't believe me."

"At least lend me something...!"

Bianca pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Just...follow me."

Several minutes later, Izetta was dressed in one of Bianca's dark blue royal guard uniforms.

It felt more comfortable than she thought, and when she wore her choker, the high collar was enough to cover everything up.

"Thank you so much, Bianca..." she sighed.

"That outfit actually looks good on you...although it looks a bit too small in certain areas."

"I don't mind it!"

Bianca smiled and handed her a pair of boots.

"Now, wear these and make a surprise for your Archduchess."

"Wha- I don't think I want her to see me in this..."

"She'll love it. Trust me."

There was a lingering hesitation when Izetta accepted the boots from Bianca.

 _Bianca is in love with Finé...isn't she...?_

 _Although she doesn't want me to know...shouldn't I say something about that...?_

Believing Bianca still had some issues with it, Izetta opened her mouth and said, "Um...Bianca-"

"Say, Izetta," the royal guard interrupted her, "Are you...um...are you free this afternoon...?"

Izetta blinked at her. "Er...yeah...?"

Bianca scratched her head. "Can you...uh...accompany me for something?"

After everything Bianca had done for her, there was no way Izetta could refuse. "Of course...! Where are we going?"

"I don't know...to town...I'm just...not good with this sort of thing. I need your advice."

Izetta wanted to laugh. Now it was Bianca's turn to ask for her help?

"Advice for what?"

"Lotte's birthday is in a week and...I want to buy something for her. But I don't know what...maybe a collector's item or something...?" she said under her breath.

"Ohh!" Izetta's eyes lit up, "Let me help you! Please! I'll go with you!"

Bianca didn't seem to expect that much enthusiasm from her. "Geez, thanks. You're the best, Izetta," she beamed, "Should we go and see Finé-sama?"

"I really think we shouldn't..."

"Believe me, soon she'll want you to wear this in the bedroom every night."

"That's impossible...!"

With a cheerful laugh and a matching outfit, they walked out to the castle gardens, chatting happily along the way.

It was yet another peaceful day in Landsbruck, the capital of Eylstadt.

They were blissfully unaware, that the Germanians would attempt to attack the nation again with a powerful witch of their own.

And everything would soon change.

 **THE END**

* * *

A/N: Hello everyone, this chapter concludes The Season of Peace! This probably won't be my last Shuumatsu no Izetta fanfic, I still have a lot of ideas in store! Thank you for reading this far, and I hope you would kindly leave a review for this story!


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